1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adapter, and particularly to an adapter for electrically connecting a smart card to a motherboard mounted in a notebook computer.
2. Description of Relatrd Art
Recently, the smart card has been applied in many fields such as personal computers due to their excellent performance. However, for a notebook computer, the smart card can not be directly connected thereto because the notebook computer does not define the insert slot for insertion of the smart card. As we all know, it is almost impossible to define a new insert slot because of the small size of the notebook computer. Furthermore, even if the smart card insert slot could be defined in the notebook computer, it clearly increases the overall cost. Accordingly, defining a new insert slot for the smart card in the notebook seems not to be advisable at least at the present time. On the other hand, the notebook computer generally defines an insert slot at a side thereof for insertion of a PCMCIA card so as to transfer signals between a motherboard mounted in the notebook computer and the PCMCIA card. Therefore, how to apply the smart card in the notebook computer without needing to define a new insert slot, i.e., using existing PCMCIA card insert slot of the notebook computer, becomes a critical issue.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide an adapter for electrically connecting a smart card to a notebook computer using a PCMCIA card insertion slot of the notebook computer.
In order to achieve the object set forth, the adapter of the present invention includes a pair of half parts secured together. The pair of half parts define a receiving space therebetween. The adapter further includes an insulating housing and a plurality of terminals secured within the receiving space, respectively. Each terminal includes a mating portion secured within a terminal receiving channel of the housing and a contact portion protruding into the receiving space. In use, the adapter is first inserted into an insert slot defined at a side of a notebook computer, wherein the mating portions of the terminals contact with contacts of a complementary connector mounted in a motherboard in the notebook computer. Then the smart card is inserted into the receiving space, wherein a plurality of contact pads formed on a top surface of the smart card contact with the contact portions of the terminals in the receiving space, thereby electrically connecting the smart card to the motherboard of the notebook computer.